Shadai Stallion Station

Shadai Stallion Station has set the introductory fee for Equinox (Jpn) at ¥20 million (€124,000), which is a record high for a first-season stallion in Japan. It also makes his equal in price to his own sire Kitasan Black (Jpn), whose fee has been doubled for 2024. Father and son are the two most expensive stallions on Shadai's 33-strong roster. The Shadai website already has a 'Book full' note posted alongside the name of Equinox, who retires to stud as the top-rated horse in the world in 2023. The 4-year-old...

Crossing the line as Equinox sauntered home in the Japan Cup, Christophe Lemaire gave a little shake of his head and beamed as he tried unconvincingly to pat the horse's neck. Lemaire's disbelief was such that he went floppy with delight. Championship races are not meant to be processions. Even legendary horses aren't supposed to be so superior to their contemporaries. While others bobbed and heaved with effort, Equinox arrived at the front in his races on the bridle, with Lemaire perched as if for a portrait painter. Then he...

The world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) has been retired to Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido after winning last weekend's Japan Cup in spectacular fashion. Last Sunday's Group 1 success was the Japanese superstar's sixth consecutive victory at the highest level. In 10 lifetime starts he was beaten twice when second to Geoglyph (Jpn) in the GI Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) and also second in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) to Do Deuce (Jpn). Bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm from the Group 3-winning King Halo...

Kitasan Black (Jpn), Japan's busiest stallion in 2023 and the sire of the world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn), has had his covering fee doubled for next season to ¥20 million (approximately £108,000/€124,000). Kitasan Black is a son of Black Tide (Jpn), a full-brother to the late Deep Impact (Jpn), and he was kept busy at the Shadai Stallion Station last spring when covering 242 mares. It remains to be seen whether his most famous son, who is favourite to extend his Group 1 winning streak to six in Sunday's Japan...

Coolmore and Westerberg's Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had failed to get his nose in front in three starts since saluting in last term's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud and bounced back under a Ryan Moore masterclass to claim a career high in Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. at York. Detached in rear and patiently ridden as the hitherto undefeated Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) set searching fractions up front, the 4-1 chance inched ever closer in the straight to launch his challenge...

HOKKAIDO, Japan--In the bloodstock world, the battle for succession does not come down to unseemly squabbles in the boardroom. What matters first is what happens on the track, and even when all goes right there, success in the breeding shed is far from guaranteed. Smallish in stature but a Goliath in influence and reputation, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer gave the European breeding industry many stars including, crucially, Sadler's Wells, whose line holds strong predominantly through Galileo (Ire) and his heir apparent, Frankel (GB). Northern Dancer also...

Japanese and UAE champion and top sire Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence--Irish Dance {Jpn}, by Tony Bin {Ire}) died on Mar. 9, the Japanese Racing Association (JRA) announced on Friday. The 22-year-old was in good health until he passed, due to a sudden inability to stand. Teruya Yoshida, CEO of Shadai Farm, said in a statement, "Hearts Cry ran out of steam last night [Thursday]. I heard from the person in charge of the Shadai Stallion that he left nobly and without showing any weakness until the very end. "When...

Grade I winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow--Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie) will stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan beginning in 2023. The GI Pennsylvania Derby hero and half-brother to Eclipse Champion Sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) will stand for ¥2,000,000. Eisuke Tokutake of Shadai Stallion Station said, "Hot Rod Charlie has only one [Grade I] win, but he is running steadily, and his pedigree background is a stallion that is definitely a Japan stallion [in the making] with a champion sprinter as his half-brother, [Mitole]." Purchased for $17,000 as a short...

Group 1 winner Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}--Salomina {Ger}, by Lomitas {GB}) has been retired from racing and will stand at Shadai Stallion Station beginning in 2023, www.winkeiba.jp reported on Tuesday. The Northern Racing-bred chestnut had been due to contest the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday but was withdrawn after he was found to be lame in his left foreleg. A fee will be announced later for the Silk Racing Company colourbearer. Undefeated as a juvenile with his three-race campaign culminating in the G1 Asahi...

The Shadai Stallion Stallion roster was headed by Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S {Jpn}), who will stand for ¥18,000,000 (approx. €123,762--1 JPY=0.00687568€--0.00708US) in 2023. A trio of stallions will stand for ¥12,000,000 (€82,490)-champion and leading sire Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), multiple champion and Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the sire of Classic-winning filly Almond Eye (Jpn). Rounding out the eight figure sires, Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) will command a ¥10,000,000 (€68,736) fee next season. The 2023 fee...

All Parfait (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) made it back-to-back victories with a half-length triumph in the 1600-metre G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. at Hanshin on Saturday. Second was race favourite Danon Touchdown (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who left the gates at 5-2. The first stakes-winner for his 2016 G1 Dubai Turf-winning sire, the 2-year-old colt broke in the centre of the course from gate 10 and sped up to take command inside the first 100 metres. Hard on the steel, he covered his first 600 metres in :35.30. He soon...

Coolmore and Westerberg's 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) allayed any and all concerns that his ability may be blunted by the heavy going and powered through the mud at Doncaster to register a record-breaking 11th renewal for Aidan O'Brien in Saturday's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy. The trainer admitted a late scratching might be on the cards if conditions were not suitable for the July 2 Naas maiden winner, but was pleasantly surprised by the state of...